One at a Time

Yay for me... one more pound lost this week! That means my goal of under 200 is really in sight. I'm within 3 pounds of the 100's and I'm hoping to reach it before we leave for St. John (Yes, as in the Virgin Islands... Ben's brother and his girlfriend live there and with some help from Ben's parents, we're all going to visit him--sort of a family reunion island style! We get to stay in this incredible villa (check it out: Starlit Escape) and we are going to have so much fun playing at the beach! They say the snorkeling is amazing, although the ocean kind of freaks me out. Maybe it won't be so scary when I can actually see through the water. I'll definitely try it, no matter what!)

Anyway, it was a good week and I'll take my one pound loss. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't a gain, so I'm happy! I continue to really enjoy the Weight Watchers meetings, it's really fun to see the same faces and to get to know everyone's names. It's motivating to me to see others be successful.

I saw a really great fridge magnet recently and I copied it down. It reads:

The 10 Principles of Healthy Living

1. Breathe Deeply
2. Drink Water
3. Sleep Peacefully
4. Eat Nutritiously
5. Enjoy Activity
6. Give and Receive Love
7. Be Forgiving
8. Practice Gratitude
9. Develop Acceptance
10. Develop a Relationship with God

Pretty succinct . . . take care of yourself, take care of others, and remember the One who gave you everything. That about covers it!

Last week in the meeting Nancy had asked a question about how weight loss changes you, and I commented that for me weight loss is much more than a superficial thing. Sure, it's nice to fit into smaller clothes, to be more stylish, and just to look better all around, but above all of that, it is wonderful to feel better. I find that as I lose weight, I actually begin to think less about myself and more about others. I'm much more comfortable in social situations--not thinking so much about how I look or how fat I am or what other people are thinking of me. I'm becoming more comfortable with myself, so I spend far less energy thinking about what others think of me and much more energy thinking about what I can do for others. It's a great thing to let go of the fear and self-doubt and to feel like you have the freedom and the ability to help those around you. Weight loss is much more than losing pounds on the scale, it's gaining a new perspective on myself and the power I have to change the world--my world.

(One more pound!! Yay me!)

Drumroll Please . . .

I got on the scale today knowing that something was seriously wrong if I didn't see a loss! I followed the plan completely this week, trying very hard to follow the 8 Good Health Guidelines, and to journal all of my points. Fortunately, the scale showed a loss of 3.4 pounds! Count 'em: THREE POINT FOUR!!! I feel today like I received my just rewards. Yay for me!

Time for another picture

Well, seeing as I haven't had the best success on the scale lately, I'm having to look at other results to help my motivation. Ben took the picture of me in the black dress last weekend, but I think it's much more dramatic with a before picture to compare it to.

February 2008

August 2008

It's VERY nice to see a difference! The scale is not always the best measurement--and I'm not going to let it get me down.

Well, Crap.

Damn, damn, damn. I don't usually swear, in fact, I can't really do it. Once in the heat of an argument with Ben I told him he was being an a**hole and right then the argument was over because he busted up laughing! So, the swearing is proof of my frustration right now. I was so happy about my 2.4 lb loss last week . . . I had finally broken through the slump--and now I have to report a stupid 2.6 lb gain!! How frustrating is that?

I got an email yesterday from an old friend asking me how I stay so positive . . . unfortunately, I'm not feeling so positive today! I'm not giving up, that's for sure, but I certainly don't feel extra motivated. I'm racking my brain thinking about this week and what I did wrong. The biggest concern I can think of is that I was not very stringent about journaling this week. There were a couple of days when it was past lunchtime before I actually recorded what I had eaten that day. That's probably not very smart. It's just too easy to put things in your mouth and then forget you ate them!

I exercised pretty well, although my knee is bugging me (surgery coming up on October 9th), so I didn't push myself like I usually do. I like to exercise, and I try to get in a workout at least five out of seven days, but I find that my food choices make a much bigger difference than my workouts. I like to feel like I'm building muscle tone and I'm trying really hard to rid myself of the "muffin top", so the exercise definitely makes a difference in body composition. I firmly believe that a person can be extremely thin and yet completely out of shape. That's not my goal, so I work hard to get enough exercise. For me though, the exercise is about 15% of the equation and food choices are 85%. I see much better results when I make better food choices.

So, my goals for this week are to journal faithfully--to count every single thing I put in my mouth. At meetings I've heard that "BLT's" (bites, licks and tastes) can make a big difference. Also I'm going to work harder on meeting the 8 Good Health Guidelines which are:

1. Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
2. Choose whole-grain foods whenever possible
3. Include 2 servings of milk products each day
4. Drink at least 6 glasses of water each day
5. Have some healthy oil each day (2 tsp of olive, canola, safflower or flaxseed oil).
6. Make sure you get enough protein (2 servings each day)
7. Limit added sugar and alcohol
8. Take a multi-vitamin each day

Oh! I thought of one more thing . . . I've been buying the 100-calorie pack snacks lately, for me and for the kids, and this week I definitely ate too many of them. They're supposed to be an every-once-in-a-while snack and I've been eating a few a day. That's definitely abuse of the 100-calorie pack system! I really need to cut down on the snacky stuff and use my points for fruits, veggies, protein, and whole grains. Now, that's a good idea!

I'm over the gain . . .WHATEVER! I'll just do my best this week and see if I can beat it next Friday.

2.4!!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I finally had a nice loss! 2.4 lbs, which brings me to a total of 30 lbs lost since beginning Weight Watchers. I got clapped for today!!

I didn't feel any particular way going into the weigh-in this morning, but I was hopeful. I was very careful this week and I didn't use all of my weekly allowance points, and it paid off nicely. It was great to get another five-pound sticker (6 of them now!) and to feel like I'm finally over the hump. I've been struggling with the same two pounds up and down for four weeks now and today I finally banished them forever! Be gone, two pounds!!

The leader (there was a sub again... I can't wait for Nancy to come back from her vacation next week!) asked me what I've changed or what I'm doing to be successful and my answer was that I just keep doing it. I just keep on keeping on. That's the key. Every other time I've started a "diet", I always have an end date in mind. The "after I lose fifty pounds, I can go off this crazy diet" kind of mindset. I think I have finally come to the place where I understand that this struggle of mine is going to be with me forever, and I'm going to have to fight it forever. That's why this lifestyle has to be forever. Whether I gain or lose one week, I just stay on plan and keep on going . . . overall, there is definitely a downward trend! Check out my progress graph:

Gotta love that "downward trend"!
At the meeting we also talked about thinking about the food we're eating before we put it in our mouth. It's important to keep track and stay accountable for what you're eating, but it's also important to try and eat things that are healthy for you. You can definitely work in plenty of desserts and sweets with the points, but that's not necessarily the healthiest way to eat. So, this week I'm going to ask myself before I eat something, "Is this good for my body?"

Good Article

There's a great article on the Weight Watchers home page today on slow weight loss. Check it out . . . Why Slow Weight Loss Wins

Here's a little sneak peek: "We live in a quick-fix society," says Debra Mandel, PhD, a Los Angeles psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. "When we want something, we want it right away."

Worse, we're constantly presented with advertisements that convince us that we can lose inches by tomorrow, and be slimmer by next week. It seems like there's no harm in wanting to lose weight by yesterday. After all, it is possible. Isn't it?

The High Road

You know that scripture in Corinthians? The one that says"Charity suffereth long?" Well, this week, Luella "suffereth long"! I had a pretty good week, I was excited for the weigh-in on Friday...I was feeling it, feeling better in my clothes, better in my body, all that. So, when I stepped on the scale and it showed a gain of 1.2 lbs, I was dumbfounded! I, however, did not lose my composure and bawl like the last time I gained unexpectedly. Instead, I channeled the good feelings I had about how my clothes were fitting and how I felt, and I MOVED ON.

Unfortunately, this little setback is calling for MORE PATIENCE.

More, I ask? How can I possibly be any more patient?? I feel like I have had the patience of Job during this weight loss journey! I have been dealing with the same two pounds for five weeks now. FIVE WEEKS!!! These two little pounds are trying to kill me! On the way home from the meeting (I often get my best thinking time in the car!) I figured that there are two roads I can take now:

The Low Road: Quit this stupid journey . . . it's taking too long and it's too darn frustrating. All I want to do is stuff my face with ice cream and baked goods and wallow in self-pity. I bet it wouldn't take me 6 months to gain back the 28 lbs I've lost since beginning Weight Watchers! Should I take that challenge? OR . . .

The High Road: This road is a long one, and it only involves controlled amounts of ice cream and baked goods, but there is a huge pay-off at the end of it, which includes a much nicer figure, a huge amount of self-confidence, and the knowledge that I can do anything that I set my mind to. A much worthier challenge, says I.

So I gained when I thought I had lost, so what? In the big picture, I still have an average weight loss of 1.1 lbs per week--that's 4.4 lbs per month and over six months that's 26 1/2 lbs! When I lose 26 1/2 more lbs I'll only be ten pounds from my goal weight! That's awesome!

The fact of the matter is this: Each week that passes during which I stay on plan, drink enough water, eat enough fruits and vegetables, and exercise my body is a week in which I teach myself how to treat my body well and how to reach the goals I have set for myself. It doesn't really matter how long it takes me . . . as long as I've taken the right road (the HIGH road!) I'll get there eventually!

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-- Robert Frost